How Not to Lead a Walk

Day sack, walking poles: what could possibly go wrong?

Get up, bright and early.

Get washed, dressed, and have a hearty breakfast.

Make sandwiches and pack day sack.

Check map: I’m leading today’s walk!

Put boots and walking poles in bag.

Put bag and day sack in car.

Drive to Ripon rendez-vous.

Welcome walkers, who all car-share to start of walk – not my car.

All get booted-up and ready to walk …..

… Except me.

The boots in my bag are not mine.

They’re my husband’s.

Stare at battered canvas sneakers I wore to begin the day.

Realise these won’t do for a country walk.

Thrust map and walking route into press-ganged hands.

Wave walkers a reluctant goodbye.

Trudge along the road, back to Ripon.

Not recommended.

My boots …..
…. Malcolm’s boots. Not exactly identical, are they?

My contribution to Six Word Saturday.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and living in North Yorkshire, where I walk as often as I can, write, volunteer, and travel as often as I can.

38 thoughts on “How Not to Lead a Walk”

  3. I feel with you. Happened to me before (not quite, I just forgot my inner soles which I ha put out for drying but with same result). Luckily, I wasn’t supposed to lead the group. Still.

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  4. Ah but you still demonstrated decisiveness and good delegating powers, both important leadership qualities – look on the bright side eh? I can imagine how you felt though; bit of a bummer!

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    1. Sadly, it’s the sort of mistake that’s very easy for me. Irritatingly, I’d turned down going to London with The Yorkshire Remain Choir, which got massive publicity: you must have seen it on the news even if you didn’t realise, because I had a walk to lead. And … I didn’t have a walk to lead.

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  8. Oh no. The best laid plans and all that – raised a rueful smile as we have all done things like that. Damn annoying and disappointing though. Worse still the long walk back.
    I recall a friend who went on a hike with the local mountain club. Up chain ladders and a steep trail and on to the chilly escarpment where they all unpacked to set up their little tents for the night – it was only then when my friend discovered she had left the tent poles for her tent behind …

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  11. Oh I am so sorry Margaret but I just had to laugh! Life does things like this to us once in a while – I once took 2 left shoes for a walk I had to cancel LOL. Funny enough these are the moments you smile about later, and hey, you got a fun post out of it so it wasn’t a total loss!!

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  13. Being somewhat pigheaded, or stupid- you choose- I’d probably have attempted the walk in said trainers, but I did note that it was raining, so I’d possibly have found a cake shop instead 🙂 🙂 Happy Sunday!

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    1. Trust me. You’d have found a cake shop. Also because I had a dicky knee which has put me hors de combat for the rest of the week. Still (not walking) wounded.

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  15. Oh, and you were SO organized, otherwise! And they just went off without you? I guess this is a mistake you’ll never make again! (But, if you’re like me, you’ll find a new one to make!)

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    1. They were reluctant to go, but I made them as there was no point in spoiling everyone’s day. Samuel Beckett wrote my motto: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

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